Civil Rights Lawyer Shekar Krishnan Entrance-runner for NYC Queens Council Seat | International Indian

A couple of Indians are vying for the Democratic primary on June 22 for the seat of New York City Council District 25 in Queens, a post vacated by Councilor Daniel Dromm on a limited term.

According to a report by City & State New York, anyone elected in the primary is almost certain to take office in January due to the district’s strong democratic leanings.

Dromm has supported Indian-American civil rights attorney Shekar Krishnan, who is one of nine candidates running in the primary, the report said.

According to 2010 census data, the district has about 162,560 people and 42 percent are Hispanics, 15.2 percent are white, 5.8 percent are black, and 34.5 percent are Asian-American.

The district is also known for having many first and second generation immigrants, including large Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Ecuadorian and Colombian populations, the report said.

Other candidates, according to the report, include Alfonso Quiroz, a Con Edison spokesman and former deputy chief of staff to former Councilor Helen Sears; Carolyn Tran, Dromm’s former chief of staff; Andy Yi Chen, co-owner of a medical supply company; Fatima Baryab, co-founder of the nonprofit SUKHI NY; Liliana Melo, Congregation District Leader; and Manuel Perez, district leader for the Democratic Organization of Queens County.

Two other candidates, Rajesh Ranot and William Salgado, are also listed as Democrats in the running, but little information about them can be found online, it said.

According to the Campaign Finance Summary 2021 Citywide Elections, Ranot has $ 200 in private funding while Salgado has $ 10,766, the report said.

Of the candidates, Krishnan and Chen won $ 81,734 and $ 133,485, respectively, on Jan.

Leading the number of endorsements is Krishnan, who has been backed by a number of different officials and organizations, including Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Sens. Julia Salazar and John Liu, Black Lives Caucus, Make the Road Action, and the United Federation of Teachers , amongst other things.

Parishioner Alpana Choudhury, founder and director of private practice Wove Therapy, said the opportunity to attract a new person to represent Jackson Heights and Elmhurst gives the community an important opportunity to rethink how things were previously in the district, in the city and were made in the state, New York report said.

Candidates spoke about the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on their community during the interviews and, according to the report, pointed out platforms designed to address inequalities and increase funding for key government services such as health care.

“COVID did not create these problems for our neighborhoods, but made them visibly worse for everyone,” said Krishnan, the son of South Indian immigrants, the report said. “I think the fact that Jackson Heights and Elmhurst were the epicenter of this pandemic was no accident. It was the result of decades of disinvestment in our neighborhoods. “

Krishnan cited his experience as a civil rights attorney fighting for housing justice as the reason for his decision to run for office, saying Jackson Heights and Elmhurst had years of systemic injustices where the community did not receive the resources and services to that she needs from the government.

To address this, the city really needs to invest in services – not temporary fixes or patches. In the healthcare sector, Krishnan is in favor of significantly expanding city funding for Elmhurst Hospital, as well as introducing a citywide moratorium on hospital closures and improving healthcare language services, the report adds.

Regarding the hot topic of affordable housing, Krishnan said, “Where your home is affects everything else – the resources we need but not receive for our public hospitals, public schools and mental health services. ”

If elected, Krishnan could also be the first South Asian to be elected to New York City Council.